


The Cross-Country Cup

by SSDSnape



Series: Bamfylde Saga [2]
Category: To Serve Them All My Days - R. F. Delderfield
Genre: A mistake that changes everything, Corporal Punishment, Gen, Guilt, Innocence, lying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2017-09-07
Packaged: 2018-12-25 03:48:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12027480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SSDSnape/pseuds/SSDSnape
Summary: Ellie Herries' words come to fruition when someone takes the School Cross-Country Cup the night before the big Run. Algie Herries can't believe it, and has no choice but to take the cane to the only likely suspect. Havelock's new House Captain, Chad Boyer.





	The Cross-Country Cup

Algy Herries and his wife Ellie were sitting down to tea and scones in their sitting room talking about Boyer being made Captain of Havelock's House.  
"Well of course I confirm it." Algy said, holding out a plate to his wife who placed a scone on it. "Thank you. Now you've got to back the fellow up, but really, Ellie I mean... of all the mad choices. Poor old Judy Cordwainer must be spinning in his grave like a top." He chuckled as he was passed the clotted cream. "I'd give anything to see his face if he could hear about it, eh? Havelock's House in the tender care of a Bolshy and a Lunatic!" 

 

"Oh, Boyer's not a lunatic, my dear." Replied his wife.  
"Oh really? Don't you think so my dear?" Algy muttered, scooping jam out of the jar. "That's very reassuring."  
"No, no. I see him much more as a member of the Criminal Classes, Algy."  
"Eh? You what?!"  
"Well, you know. Cashiered by his regiment for gambling debts, or, or gun running, or... or, one of those people who hang round the fringes of the members bars of the smarter race courses."  
"Oh Ellie--" 

 

"Oh, I know a great deal more than you think." Continued his wife. "You seem to think I had no existence before I met you, and disappeared forever into pedagogical obscurity."  
Algy chuckled fondly.  
"I used to mix a good deal in horsey circles of the better sort." She went on before taking a bite out of her own scone. "Young Boyer, was able to give me a very good tip for last year's Cambridgeshire."  
"Oh good."  
"Yes. I think he'll make an excellent House Captain. If he can be restrained enough from pawning the School Cross-Country Cup." She finished. Little did Ellie or Algy Herries know, that at that very moment someone was doing exactly that.

 

................. 

 

The next morning on his way through the halls to his first class, Mr Barnaby glanced at the casement that held all the trophies on his left and stopped mid step. Six cups usually sat there, only now however there were only five. The biggest of them all the School Cross-Country Cup wasn't amongst them. This was serious, the Cross-Country Run was this afternoon and the cup was gone! Barnaby made haste to the Headmaster's office.  
"Headmaster!" Barnaby puffed as he ran into Algy Herries' office not bothering to knock. 

 

"Barnaby, my dear chap. Whatever is the matter?" Algy said, looking up from behind his desk.  
"The Cup, sir. It's gone!"  
"What the devil are you talking about, man? What Cup?"  
"The Cross-Country Cup! It's gone from the casement." Barnaby wheezed out, as he leant heavily against Algy's desk.  
"But-- But the Run is this afternoon. Are you sure?"  
"Quite sure Headmaster."  
"Oh dear, oh dear. This won't do. Not at all. I--" Algy went quiet, as he thought back to what he and Ellie had been discussing yesterday. "No, he couldn't have." He muttered more to himself than to Barnaby. Still Barnaby heard it.  
"Who couldn't have, sir?" He asked. 

 

"Ellie and I were discussing Boyer and his new position as House Captain for Havelock's. Ellie classed young Boyer as part of the Criminal Classes and then went on to say that she thought he'd make a fine Captain, if he could restrain himself from pawning the School's Cross-Country Cup."  
"Boyer wouldn't do that." Barnaby replied. "Would he?"  
"He would for a bet." Algy went on, frowning. "Do me a favour Barnaby. Go to Havelock's and ask both David and Boyer to come and see me. Would you?"  
"Of course, sir." 

 

................. 

 

David and Boyer knocked upon the Headmaster's office door before entering.  
"Come in you two. I'd like a word with you. Particularly you, Boyer."  
"Sir?"  
With a puzzled frown on my face I looked from Algy Herries to Boyer, wondering what this was about. Barnaby had simply said that the Headmaster had need of us.  
"I want know what you did with the Cup?"  
"What Cup, sir?" Boyer asked completely surprised. 

 

"Oh, don't play games with me, Boyer. I'm not in the mood." Algy replied, his tone serious. "I'm talking about the School Cross-Country Cup that you stole last night and pawned off to god knows who."  
"I--"  
"You did what?!" I asked, shocked. "I thought that now that you were House Captain boy, you would've stopped with all your old habits."  
"But I--"  
"Don't start lying, Boyer." Algy stood up and came around his desk. "You know I hate persistent lying and you know what happens to those that do." 

 

Boyer's eyes went wide with shock. He hadn't stolen the Cup! Why would he?  
"I haven't stolen any Cup, sir."  
"Well, if it wasn't you Chad, who was it?" I asked. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Algy Herries stepping over to a cupboard in the corner and removing from it a cane.  
"I promised I would stop with my old ways if I got the post of House Captain." Boyer went on, gulping when he saw Algy give the cane a few swishes, before coming back over to his desk. 

 

................. 

 

That was the first time I had ever seen Algy Herries punish a boy in my presence, during my tenure here at Bamfylde. Afterwards, Boyer was sent up to his dorm in tears, his backside stinging. Not because of the beating he had just received, but due to the fact that he was no longer House Captain for Havelock's. That it seemed hit him harder than any amount of whacks with the cane.  
What happened next however, neither myself, nor Algy Herries were expecting.  
Just before we were due out on the sports field, Dobson came hurrying past us carrying the missing Cup! 

 

I waylaid him making him almost drop it, and asked him where he found it, whilst Algy steadied the Cup in the boy's arms.  
"I had taken it out early this morning sir." Dobson said. "Took it to Old Kepstone to have it polished, ready for this afternoon sir."  
Kepstone was Bamfylde's aging old retainer of a caretaker.  
Algy and I looked at each other, our eyes wide as the repercussions of what had happened earlier in Algy's office began to sink in.  
Algy closed his eyes and bowed his head in shame and guilt. Boyer had been telling the truth.  
"Alright Dobson. You can be on your way now. Take the cup to the starting point." I said.  
"Yes sir."  
I turned to see Algy fall against the wall heavily.  
"I'm an old fool, David." He said softly.  
"Nonsense." I replied.  
"Yes. I am. Come on." He said, pushing himself away from the wall and turning back in the direction we had come. "I need to go and apologise to Boyer. I'd like you to come with me." 

 

................. 

 

We made our way up through the school to Havelock's and entered the common room. Up the stairs we went and into the dormitories. We found Chad Boyer standing with his back to us at the far end of the room, by the large window looking out at the grounds below.  
"Chad?" I said.  
A sniff was our only reply.  
"Chad, I just came to say," Algy went on, "that I'm sorry."  
"It's alright, sir. I don't hold it against you." Boyer replied. "It seems you found the Cup."  
"Yes... I'm sorry Chad. I hope that you can forgive your daft old fool for a Headmaster someday."  
With that Algy Herries sighed deeply and turned away, back down the dormitory and out the door. 

 

"Chad?" I asked, after a moment or two of silence, stepping up to his side and placing my right hand on his left shoulder. "What's the matter?" No answer. "You've got the Captaincy back. As soon as the Headmaster realised his mistake, he gave it back to you."  
Chad Boyer nodded.  
I turned the boy to face me and asked if he was alright, knowing that something was bothering him but what that thing was he wouldn't tell me. 

 

I never did find out what was troubling Chad Boyer. He did forgive Algy Herries and was soon back to his old self again and became the best House Captain Havelock's had ever had. But his friendly and jovial relationship with myself and Headmaster Herries was never quite the same again. And for the life of us - even long after Chad Boyer had left Bamfylde - we never could figure out why.


End file.
